Implementation of Smart Villages Based on Local Community Participation within a Digital Governance Framework in Indonesia and Malaysia

The implementation of smart villages within the digital governance framework in Indonesia and Malaysia still faces challenges in optimizing local community participation as the main actors in digital village development. This study aims to analyze the role of local community participation in improving the effectiveness of smart village implementation within the context of digital governance in both countries. The method used is a qualitative approach with a comparative study design through interviews, observations, and documentation studies. The results show that local community participation significantly influences program sustainability, technology adoption, and policy legitimacy. The novelty of this study lies in the discovery of a participatory digital governance model based on cultural embeddedness that integrates local cultural values into the village digital system as a key factor in successful implementation. In addition, there are differences in participation patterns between Indonesia and Malaysia, influenced by institutional and social contexts. In conclusion, the success of smart villages is not only determined by technology, but by adaptive, participatory, and contextual digital governance.

smart village; digital governance; local communities; digital governance

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